The present invention generally pertains to theft-deterrent devices and is particularly directed to an improvement in pin-and-clutch theft-deterrent devices.
A pin-and-clutch theft-deterrent device includes means for attaching the device to the article, with said attaching means being embodied in two components that are adapted to be locked together on opposite sides of a portion of said article to prevent unauthorized removal of the device from the article, wherein the attaching means include a pin that is anchored within one component and a clutch contained in the other component for grasping the pin to provide a predetermined retaining force for resisting separation of the components by prying or pulling the components apart.
One type of pin-and-clutch theft-deterrent device includes means, such as a transponder, that enables the presence of the theft-deterrent device within a surveillance zone to be detected. An interrogation signal is irradiated throughout the surveillance area, which typically is near a store exit, and the transponder responds to the interrogation signal by radiating a presence detection signal if the theft-deterrent device has not been removed from the protected article prior to entering the surveillance area. Transponders for use in theft-deterrent devices are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,428 to Lincoln H. Charlot, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,740 to Fred Wade Herman and Lincoln H. Chariot, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,727,360 to Lucian G. Ferguson and Lincoln H. Charlot, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,137 to Fred Wade Herman and U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,138 to Ming R. Lian and Fred Wade Herman.
Another type of pin-and-clutch theft-deterrent device includes a fragile vial containing a detrimental substance that would damage an article attached to the device if the vial were to be fractured, whereby the detrimental substance would be released onto the attached article. The vial is disposed in at least one of the two components in such a manner as to fracture when at least a predetermined pressure is applied thereto by application to the two components of at least a predetermined threshold separation force that is less than that required to overcome the predetermined retaining force. This type of theft-deterrent device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,287 to Lincoln H. Charlot, Jr. and Carter W. Clarke, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,075 to Dennis L. Hogan and U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,172 to Dennis L. Hogan, John L. Lynch and Lincoln H. Charlot, Jr.
Some pin-and-clutch theft-deterrent devices include both transponders and vials containing detrimental substances.
When pin-and-clutch theft-deterrent devices are used to deter the theft of merchandise in stores, the theft-deterrent device is removed from the protected article of merchandise by authorized store personnel when the merchandise is purchased.
Some thieves tamper with pin-and-clutch theft-deterrent devices in order to remove the theft-deterrent device from the protected article by attempting to separate the pin-containing component from the clutch-containing component while in a secluded area of a store, such as a garment changing room.